30 Ways to Use Florida Water

Spiritual waters, or eaux in French perfumery, are solutions of fragrant essential oils combined with distilled water and some degree of perfumer’s alcohol or grain alcohol, with or without the addition of other fragrant substances ( i.e. Eau de Cologne). Often they are charged with odorous principles of flowers (i.e. Eau de Rose). They originated in the South of France or Italy, and were transported to New Orleans with the earliest perfumers.

Spiritual waters can be blended with ingredients such as water from specific sources, essential oils, tinctures, herbs, and so on. They are used as offerings to the spirits, added to floor washes and spiritual baths, and used in home protection rituals and spiritual cleansings. They can be used on the altar as an offering, in floor washes for blessings, or on the person to receive the special benefits they possess. Spiritual waters are readily available in pharmacies and botanic and magic shops in most areas - and of course, at Medicines and Curios -  and are quite inexpensive. They can also be made from scratch with the right formulas. They are not very difficult to make, though they do require some investment in the essential oils and access to the right herbs for sufficient fragrance.

By far, the most popular of spiritual waters in the various magickal traditions is Florida Water. Florida Water is the American answer to Eau de Cologne, or Cologne Water. It was originally valued as a unisex cologne, preferable to other, stronger smelling perfumes. It was used in copious amounts in barbershops as aftershave and cologne. It shares the same citrus base as Cologne Water, but has the addition of sweet orange (rather than the lemon and neroli of the original Cologne Water), and adds spicy notes, including lavender and clove. According to the current trademark holders, Lanman & Kemp Barclay, Florida Water was introduced by the New York City perfumer (and founder of the original company) Robert Murray in 1808. The company states that their product, now sold under the Murray & Lanman brand, still uses the original 1808 formula, and that the current label is also a slightly modified version of the 1808 original.

In the 1880s and 1890s, Murray & Lanman Florida Water was advertised as “The Richest of all Perfumes” and “The Most Popular Perfume in the World." Although now obscure to most of the general American population, Florida Water remained popular among South American and Caribbean cultures. It was incorporated into magical and ritual traditions, including hoodoo.

In Hoodoo, Florida Water is used in spiritual cleansings and home protection. It can be worn on the body, used as an ingredient in magical works or by itself as a cologne, put in the bath water and misted in the environment to purify it. In fact, there are so many ways Florida Water can be used it is no wonder it remains a favorite spiritual water among practitioners. Here are 30 ways Florida Water can be used to make your life more enjoyable. 

1. Enhance Cleansings: Add to spiritual baths to enhance spiritual cleansings.
2. Protection Cologne: Wear as a cologne for a protective shield that leaves a delicate scent. 
3. Repel Negativity: Mist in the environment to repel negative energy and negative spirits.
4. Attract Good Spirits: Mist in the environment to attract good spirits. 
5. Add to Floor Washes: Add to floor washes for its cleansing and blessing properties.
6. Use as an Offering: Place a bottle on your altar as an offering to the Spirits;
7. Wash Lodestones: Use to wash a pair of lodestones in preparation for use. 
8. Ancestral Offering: Add a few drops to a bowl of water and place on your ancestral altar as an offering to your ancestors. 
9. After Shower Rubdown: Use after showering for an exhilarating rubdown and toner.
10. As an Astringent: Use as an astringent and skin lotion to tone the skin, leaving it with a feeling of freshness.
11. Rubdown for the Infirm: As a rubdown for the sick, Florida Water has a beneficial, stimulating effect similar to alcohol rubs but much more pleasant due to its aromatherapeutic qualities.
12. Relief from Insect Bites: Applied to insect bites it provides some relief. 
13. Antianxiety Relief: For high anxiety it can be applied to the forehead and used as a rubdown, providing some relief for nervous tension.
14. Cleanse and Bless Candles: Use to cleanse and bless candles prior to use (be sure the candles are completely dry before lighting). *CAUTION: Florida Water is highly flammable. Use extreme caution when working with it.
15. Cleanse Ritual Tools: Use to wipe down altars and altar items to keep free from negative energy.
16. Spirit Communication: Pour a little in a cast iron pot or cauldron and light it to aid in spirit communication through fire.
17. Energize Money Works: Pour a little in a cast iron pot or cauldron and light it, then place your hands over the flames warming them before engaging in money drawing activities like working and gambling.
18. Holy Water: Pray the 23rd Psalm over it and use in place of Holy Water.
19. Spirit Receptivity: Periodically spray a little on your altar to keep it receptive to the spirits.
20. Dream Work: Place some in a crystal bowl with spring water next to your bed for prophetic dreams.
21. Attraction Spray: Combine basil and patchouli essential oils, Florida water and a lodestone to a spray bottle for a wonderful attraction spray.
22. Foot Bath: Use in foot washings by adding to a tub of water, washing the feet with the Florida water enhanced foot bath, then anointing the feet with rose oil while praying the 23rd Psalm.
23. Hair Rinse: Add to rinse water after shampooing to clear the head of heavy thoughts.
24. Face Spritz: Keep in a spray bottle in the refrigerator for a rejuvenating face spritz during the hot days of summer.
25. Doll Baby Baptism: Use to baptize doll babies by sprinkling on the doll’s head.
26. Laundry rinse: Add a quarter cup to your laundry rinse water to both cleanse and bless your clothes.
27. Scrying Jar: Pour 1/2 Florida Water into a jar half filled with river water and use for divination.
28. Pendulum Rinse: Use to rinse pendulums after readings to clear and prepare them for subsequent readings.
29. Bless Animal Companions: Anoint your furry friend’s foreheads with just a dab to bless them. 
30. St. Francis Blessing: Take it a step further by rinsing a St. Francis medal with Florida Water and add the medal to your pet’s collar or hang from an aquarium or bird cage for protection and good health.

Find Florida Water at Medicines and Curios, as well as a whole line of Spiritual Waters and Floor Washes. 

Reel in the New and Clear out the Old with Magickal Floor Washes

Happy New Year to everyone from Medicines and Curios! 

One of the best ways to make room for the best things the new year has to offer is to do a thorough home cleansing at the beginning of the year. This includes using a magickal floor wash. Medicines and Curios carries a wide selection of such floor washes at affordable prices so anyone can do this and reap the benefits.

How you use a floor wash depends on what you want to accomplish. There are two rules of thumb: 1) to get rid of something, wash out the door or back to front and 2) to draw something in, wash in the door or front to back.

To perform a floor wash to get rid of negativity, remove obstacles and open roads, start at the back of your home at the top floor from the back of each room out, taking care to get all corners of the room. Some people will start at the top of the walls and wash down, but that’s not really necessary (nor practical for most folks) unless you are doing a most thorough wash. Proceed to the next room until you have cleansed all rooms in this fashion. Then wash down the stairs and begin again from the back of your home. When you get to the front door, wash the doorstep and your front porch if you have one. Pour the leftover water to the east.

In addition to using a floor wash to cleanse your home, it is important to clear your home of clutter. At the very least clear your doorway of clutter inside and out. There has to be some way for energy to flow and somewhere for it to flow.

After a cleansing you can light a white candle in the main room of your home. You can place four glasses of water in the four corners of the room and leave then there for three days. Some people will use eggs in the same fashion. These things will absorb any residual negative energy.

Best Times of Day and Month for Cleansings

The traditional time for taking a spiritual bath is at or right before dawn. Some folks pay attention to the moon phases for enhancing the power of their cleansings. For example, when the desired result is to remove a condition or obstacles and open roads, then performing the cleansing during a waning moon is ideal. If the goal is to draw something to you, then a waxing moon is ideal. A full moon is ideal for harnessing all of the power of the moon towards a desired goal. However, a cleansing can be done any time the need arises, so don’t wait until morning comes if there is an urgent need.

Disposal of Leftover Water

The disposal of leftover bath water varies. Probably the most common method of disposal is tossing the remains towards the east at sunrise. However, there are other, more specific ways of disposing water that has been used in a cleansing.

Disposal towards a cardinal direction: To the East for drawing and growing; to the West for repelling and reversing: To the North for left-handed works; To the South for blessings, especially from the Ancestors.

Disposal in running water: To run off or remove a condition

Tossed towards spellcaster: To return a conjure to a conjurer

Transferred to a stranger: To get rid of a condition without regard for who ends up with it, or to intentionally target a person. The condition is transferred via the principle of contagious magic. Leftover floor washes or bath water are poured onto the sidewalk or somewhere someone else will walk over it; thus, “catching” the condition and carrying it away from you and your home.

Dispersed in the air: To diffuse a situation.

To peruse our selection floor washes, please visit the Floor Washes and Floor Sweeps pages of the website.

 Happy cleansing!

How to Consecrate Amulets and Talismans

   

A talisman or amulet is a piece of jewelry, a trinket, charm, picture or collage that is used to protect one or attract that which one desires such as love, money or whatever it may be. According to some traditions, amulets are charged when the moon is waning, while talismans are charged when the moon is waxing.

To consecrate or ritually charge an amulet or talisman, light some incense as an offering to the Divine entity of your understanding. Place the object on your altar.

Sprinkle the object with salt and say:

"I consecrate you with the element of Earth."

Pass the object through the incense and say: 

"I consecrate you with the element of Air."

Pass the object through candle flame and say:

"I consecrate you with the element of Fire."

Sprinkle the object with water and say:

"I consecrate you with the element of Water."

Place the object on the altar and hold your hand over it. Visualize a beam of light coming from the Divine through your hands into the object. Say:

"I hereby declare this object charged with the powers of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. That it shall be used only for good, according to my will and divine law. May it serve me well in this world, between worlds, in all the worlds. Let it be so!"

Your talisman or amulet can now be used.

If you haven't seen all of the very cool talismans available at Medicines and Curios yet, take a minute to check them out.  

Amulets, Charms, and Talismans

Until next time, be well!

FIRE UP YOUR LOVE MOJO ON VALENTINES DAY OR ANY DAY!

 

AN ANCIENT MAGICAL AND HOLY CUSTOM, Old-tyme Spiritualists used aromatic sachet powders, herbs, resins, and oils to dress petitions, fix spells and candles, and drop in foot track magick. Priests before the birth of Christ anointed themselves with perfumed oils and aromatic powders and believed these oils and powders brought success, love, ignited passion and kept away evil spirits, among other things. 

In the past as well as present, sachet powders were often contained in little bags along with sweet smelling herbs and perfumes. In ancient China, scented sachet bags were worn on the body as ornaments and used to absorb sweat, repel insects and ward off evils. During the Qing Dynasty, scented sachets were considered love tokens. Queen Isabella of Spain used fragrant sachets combining a variety of flowers, spices, and seeds.

In Hoodoo and various folk magic traditions originating in Africa and Europe, sachet powders consist of powdered herbs roots and mineral compounds. The ingredients are chosen for the characteristics they possess that are consistent with a desired purpose. For example, if you want to draw someone near, you would use a powder made from herbs and minerals that have attraction properties such as roses and magnetic sand. If you want to drive away evil or a negative emotion like depression, you could use Run Devil Run. If you wanted to use a sachet powder for more nefarious purposes you could use Hot Foot Powder which may include sulfur, cayenne pepper and dried, pulverized red ants.

If you would like to try your hand at making your own love drawing sachet like the Queeen of Spain, try this recipe.

Queen Isabella's Love Sachet

In a bowl, combine the following ingredients:

• Dried rose petals
• Dried carnation petals
• Powdered orris root
• Powdered calamus (Sweet flag) root
• Powdered coriander seeds
• Powdered cinnamon
• Vanilla bean
• Essential oil of your choice

Blend the powders together first. If you are hand grinding the seeds and spices yourself, use a good mortar and pestle to grind them. It may take a little muscle and a bit of time to get the ingredients to a fine powder. Then add your flower petals and toss everything around like making a salad. Put in an organza bag and place in your drawers to keep your clothing smelling sweet and fresh. Keep some in a glass jar to keep it fresh until you are ready to use.

If that seems like too much trouble or you simply want to buy a sweet smelling, aromatic sachet powder, there is no time like the present. You can take advantage of our BUY ONE GET ONE FREE sale when you purchase our featured product, Temptress Love Powder. Invite love and ignite passion in your life with this luscious and decadent sachet powder from Crossroads Mojo. Compounded the old-fashioned way out of all natural ingredients including love herbs and aromatic essential oils, this powder is designed to open the flames of passion and ignite the fire in your love life. Dust your self with it after bathing to draw in the one you desire. Sprinkle your bed sheets to ignite the flames of passion. Sprinkle around your bedroom to fire up your love mojo. You can't go wrong with Crossroads Mojo's Temptress Love Powder available now at Medicines and Curios!

Qunatities are limited so get yours now while they last!

Crossroads Mojo's Temptress Love Powder